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Liverpool’s claims regarding Sadio Mane lay blame at Brendan Rodgers

An interesting development has emerged following our bumper deal to bring Sadio Mane to Anfield.

The Telegraph are reporting that Liverpool have openly told media outlets that although the 24-year-old is a ‘Jurgen Klopp signing’, we’ve been watching him for two years and wanted him back in 2014 – only for Brendan Rodgers to object.

During that summer Southampton paid £12m to acquire the flyer from Red Bull Salzburg, while Liverpool shelled out £20m on Lazar Markovic instead – who’s got nowhere near fulfilling his price-tag yet…

The fact Liverpool are openly stating the transfer committee wanted Mane when he was £18m cheaper certainly lays some blame on the doorstep of Rodgers, who is of course now at Celtic having been fired towards the beginning of last season.

It also suggests an acceptance that the £30m needed to buy the Senegalese is hefty, but required due to the blunder caused by the former manager in 2014.

Regardless, it’s good to see that this summer, every player that arrives will do so because Klopp wants him to. The manager has final say on all deals, and if he thinks £30m for Mane in this current climate is value then it’s up to the supporters to trust him.

After all, Watford turned down a £25m bid for Troy Deeney, who turns 29 tomorrow, last week. An extra £5m for a young winger with huge potential perhaps doesn’t seem so large, especially considering the cheapness in which we’ve acquired our other summer targets so far: Loris Karius, Marko Grujic and Joel Matip.